The Deal
by Wild Rose
Summary: Leon has disappeared and Claire gets a phone call in the middle of the night from someone proposing a deal. semi-done due to hardly any reviews.
1. A Call in the Night

Disclaimer: All characters in this story belong to Capcom. I am making no monetary gain off of this.  
  
If I get good reviews I'll continue with this story. It's my first one so be gentle.  
  
  
The Deal  
  
Claire awoke in a cold sweat gasping for air to fill her lungs. She had had that dream again. They were coming more often since Leon had disappeared. She couldn't help but feel guilty. Leon had recently vanished without a trace, Sherry was still missing too and all she could dream about was Steve. Not that it was a nice dream, but still Steve was dead and gone and there was nothing she could do about it. She should be focusing on finding and getting back Sherry and Leon now.  
  
' It's not like I can help what I dream about.', she thought trying to rid herself of her nightly guilt trip.  
  
She just couldn't get the dream out of her head. It was weird though...half truth wrapped with half fantasy. And that made a whole....who knows what?  
  
* The room was so cold. And it was so long and dark. Huge sets of armor lined the walls on either side. 'Hey don't I know this room from Batman?' she thought trying in a failed attempt to keep herself light. She tried to peer down as far as she could to look out for any new "playgrounds" Alfred or Alexia had created for her. She stopped abruptly when she could finally make out a shape in front of her. "Steve?" she called out to the unconscious figure strapped to a chair in front of her. It was definitely him. She ran the rest of the way up to him. Abruptly the room changed. She was standing in a bright cloudy room. 'Looks like someone left the fog machine run too long.' she thought, again failing to calm herself. She turned to see Steve laying naked on a steel operating table. She gently placed her hands on his shoulders and shook him lightly trying to wake him. "Steve" she said his name shaking him harder. She began to lean down to place her head on his chest to check for breathing when his eyes snapped open. Claire yelped as she jumped back recognizing the reptilian eyes. She couldn't move away quick enough before Steve's mutated hand grabbed her shirt front.*   
  
Claire sat with her palm to her forehead remembering the dream and trying to slow her rapidly beating heart. She had finally calm down enough that she thought she might have been able to fall back asleep. Before her head ever hit the pillow the phone rang.  
  
"Damn who would be calling at" she turned to look at the clock " 2:00 in the morning!"  
  
She picked up the phone a bit hesitantly hoping it was Chris just wanting to talk or something silly she knew was almost impossible or maybe to tell her Leon was back. Her heart began to race again at the thought.  
  
"Hello?" Claire said into the phone sounding a little unsure.  
  
"Having pleasant dreams?" a cold voice asked her laughing softly  
  
She recognized it instantly "About as pleasant as you are." she said through gritted teeth.  
"Why Claire I'm touched." the voice said mockingly still laughing.  
  
"Yeah, touched in the head." she countered.  
  
"Now, now Claire. And here I thought I was being nice calling you up with a wonderful proposal in mind."  
  
" As if I could trust you." Claire said not hiding her disgust in the slightest  
  
"Oh you don't think I'm honest?" the voice asked with mock hurt.  
  
"Ya you're a regular boy scout." Claire said ready to end the conversation.  
  
"All I wanted was to offer a simple trade for your friends. Oh well, guess you're not interested." the voice said also sounding ready to hang up.  
  
"Wait what kind of trade?" Claire asked mentally kicking herself for obviously falling into the trap.   
  
"Oh so we are willing then are we?" the voice asked to keep her waiting and annoy her even more.  
  
"Just get to the point!" Claire practically yelled into the phone. She was tired of this game and just wanted to know what they were offering so she could tell the S.T.A.R.S. group so maybe they could form some kind of plan of action to rescue their friends and.....wait friends as in plural. 'Sherry and Leon' Claire wondered. So that would mean Leon had been taken, but for what purpose?  
  
"Just give me your brother and you can have your little brat and scaly boyfriend back." the voice replied getting down to business.  
  
"Steve?" Claire asked anxiously.  
  
Just then the voice was cut off leaving Claire sitting in silence. She began to sob as she hung the phone back up.  
  
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"Leave her out of this Wesker!" Chris said to the intercepted phone call.  
  
'Hmmm.....this could prove to work out to my advantage after all.' Wesker thought to himself smiling. 


	2. The Deal

Chris had been glad he had had his sister's line tapped. He had done it in case Leon had decided to bless everyone with a phone call to tell them he was okay and had just taken a road trip or something undoubtedly stupid that only Leon could do. He didn't like the guy. He felt he was getting a little to close for comfort to his sister. He hadn't, however, expected a phone call from Albert Wesker at 2:00 in the morning.   
  
'Figures.' Chris thought thinking back, 'He always did tell us "Expect nothing." guess I'm forgetting my training already. '  
  
"No one's making any bargains with you Wesker. Least of all my sister."   
  
"Oh really, is that why you cut her off from me? To tell me that she'd say no deal? Or is it because your afraid that you're own sister might trade you off for a one night stand?" Wesker sat on the other line smiling, twisting the phone cord and imagining it to be Chris Redfield. He had only worked with the man for a short time, but he knew very well how to get the young man wound. He remembered one incident in which one of the newer recruits had made a vulgar comment regarding Redfield's little sister. Chris had cornered the man after hearing of it. That meant a trip for the man to the hospital, a week of work missed for him, and what would have been a month's sabbatical for Redfield had not Wesker spoke to the chief. That way Redfield had been there to go to the mansion. Afterwards Wesker could have shot himself in the head for that one.  
  
"We both know damn well Wesker that you would never hold up your end in a bargain."  
  
"That's where your wrong Redfield. I am fully willing to hold up my end in this bargain so long as I get what I want. My corporation has no further use for your friends and have given me the duty of disposing of them. And since they both pose no threat, I decided to take advantage of this opportunity. So I'll give you your friends back and all I want in return is to kill you. Fair enough?"  
  
There was silence on the line which Wesker knew meant Chris was actually truly considering his offer.  
  
'And just when you think I couldn't get any nicer...' Wesker mused to himself  
  
"How 'bout this Redfield. I'll give you until 3:27 tomorrow to decide. After that I'll mail you before and after pictures of your friends."  
  
Before Chris had time to reply Wesker had hung up the phone. 


	3. The Break

The Deal  
  
"3:27!!! What the hell kind of time is that?" Carlos asked frustrated tapping the back of his had repetitively on his knee.  
  
"Guess as good a time as any." Jill answered his question handing him a cup of coffee.  
  
Chris had called them all early to gather for a meeting to discuss last nights happenings. The "them" consisted of Claire, who seemed to be in her own little dream world, Barry, who was also staying quiet but only in a contemplating manner and Jill and Carols who were taking were the only ones talking to Chris about the matter at the moment.  
  
"You couldn't get a trace on the call?" Carlos asked brows knitted already knowing the answer.  
  
"No, of course not." Chris sighed.  
  
"Wesker has always been meticulous." Jill stated taking a seat on the arm of the chair Carlos was sitting in.   
  
"He's bluffing." Barry abruptly stated making everyone remember his presence.  
  
"Possibly." Chris stated "That's where we'll have to come up with a Wesker-proof plan."  
  
"And if we can't?" Barry asked skeptically.  
  
"We will." Chris stated sounding sure of himself.  
  
"But if we don't?" Barry said refusing to let it go and pretend to be optimistic.  
  
No one responded to him that time knowing full well he had a point.  
  
"Hey any new news on Leon?" Jill asked to end the sullen moment.  
  
"As far as I know he's still MIA." Chris said looking around the room for any corrections to his statement, but found none.   
  
"Ok so anyone got an plan in mind?" Carlos asked switching back to the task at hand.   
  
"Well we could have him call us at the drop off spot and let us talk to Sherry and Steve to make sure they are both with him and ok." Chris offered the thought.  
  
"Ya and he'd kill them as soon as we hung up the phone." Barry once again shot down their hope.  
  
"Well, I guess in that event we'd have to have him out in the open for us to see that they're ok." Chris directed to Barry feeling he was getting into a pro and con fight. "He'll have to leave enough space in between himself and them for you to be able to pilot the chopper in-between to do the drop off and pick up."   
  
"And once we take off he can shoot us out of the sky." Barry said narrowing his eyes.  
  
"No, that's not his style. And even if he did try it we still have some connections to give us an ace up our sleeve." Chris stood as he answered to go make the phone call to that would hopefully make his statement fact.  
  
Barry just sat as if defeated. "........but."   
  
"What!" Chris turned half yelling. He was so sick of Barry's pessimistic attitude. He just wished the older man could have a little faith in him. "Listen Barry if you don't want to fly me in there that's fine. I'll find someone else to do it okay?"  
  
"It's not that." Barry said softening his voice to almost a whisper. "He's going to kill you. You realize that don't you?"  
  
"Well, I wasn't planning on going in there totally unarmed." Chris gave him a reassuring smile and walked out the door.  
  
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Chris sat back rubbing his forehead. "I think we're ready." he said to an empty room. He had spent the entire afternoon getting a hold of all of their contacts to ask for favors. He was still at the new secret S.T.A.R.S. headquarters. He had had the all wires that someone might use to get a hold of the members tapped to be intercepted here or his apartment. All he had to do now was wait. It was only 2:49 so he decided he'd try to get some rest. He hadn't been able to fall back to sleep after Wesker had hung up. There had just been too many questions running through his head. Now he felt a little more assured that they would be able to pull through this with everyone okay. He slouched down in his chair and began drifting off to sleep.  
  
"Hey Chris get everything set to go?" Carlos asked entering the room. "Oh hey man sorry didn't mean to wake you."   
  
"Don't worry, I wasn't asleep." Chris said trying not to let his irritation be heard as he sat back up. "Ya, I found a chopper for us that should do the trick."  
  
"Man I'm hungry. You got anything to eat around here?" Carlos asked sorting through the contents of his desk to find only a half eaten Jolly Rancher stick. He shrugged to himself and tried to peel the wrapper off to no avail. He tossed it into the waste basket and redirected his attention to Chris who hadn't answered him.  
  
"Hey you alright?" He asked waving a hand in front of Chris's face to get him to snap out of his sleep trance. "You didn't get bit on your last trip or anything right?" he teased.  
  
"What? Oh sorry. No, I don't think I have anything. We have a while before he's suppose to call you could run out and get something if you want." Chris said wishing he'd just leave so he could sleep.  
  
"Nah, who wants the bother?" Carlos said now routing through everyone else's desk in search of food. He smiled as he found a strawberry Nutra-Grain bar. "So what'cha gonna do about you?"  
  
"Bullet proof vest, a gun, a knife and a prayer." Chris replied staring of into the distance.  
  
"What is he shoots you in the head? And even if he doesn't there's no way you can outrun him." Carlos began to get a bad feeling about all this.  
  
"Well, I'll just have to take him out before he takes me out." Chris answered settling back in his chair again.  
  
"That's your plan!?" Carlos asked not believing what he heard.  
  
"First Barry now you. Don't you worry about it. I do have a plan just trust me." Chris closed his eyes mentally going over his plan again.  
  
"Okay if you say so. Just don't want to see you end up dead. Be a shame after what your sister's gone through to get you back and all." Carlos sat for a few moments waiting for a reply before realizing Chris had fallen asleep. He stood up to exit the room with as little noise as possible.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Everyone had piled into the room about ten minutes before the call time and were now at their desks engaged in small talk trying to get their minds off the current situation.  
  
"Ya, I think if I had seen it a couple of months ago it might have scared the crap out of me, but I think I'm pretty much ruined for scary movies anymore." Jill said talking to Claire about the hottest horror release. Jill had worked all day at it, but she finally got Claire to come out of her trance around lunch time. 'Wow all it took was a can of soup and Carlos's jacket. It lifted my mood too, but I'll hate to see it when he goes to put it on.'  
  
When the phone rang everyone jumped. Chris picked it up steeling himself. "Hello."  
"So what's your answer Redfield?" Wesker's voice was heard throughout the room from being placed on a one-sided speakerphone.  
  
"Yes, but we have some conditions." Chris said waiting for a fight.  
  
Wesker was silent for a moment. "Alright what are they?"  
  
Chris gave him all their conditions and was amazed when Wesker actually agreed to them. Wesker gave them the coordinates to be at at 6:15.  
  
"All right group who's going?" Chris asked after hanging up the phone. "We'll need at least one person to stay here."  
  
"I'll pilot you in." Barry said clearing anyone's previous thoughts of his unwillingness.  
  
"I'm going too." Claire spoke up as if afraid they might make her stay behind. "That's the only way you'll know if it is really Steve and Sherry." she further stated to discourage anyone from trying to talk her out of it.  
  
Chris just nodded.  
  
"Well, I'm going too." Carlos joined in sounding a bit like a child whose friends were going to the fair. "You always should have an extra pilot on hand."  
  
"I guess that settles it." Jill said with arms crossed. "I'm staying."  
  
"You're okay with that?" Chris asked trying to make sure there were no conflicts with the decision.  
  
"Sure. I wasn't to thrilled about seeing Wesker again anyway. I might have accidentally shot him." she said smiling.  
  
"Okay." Chris said fully understanding the feeling. "The chopper should be here shortly. Let's go get suited up."  
  
************************************************************************  
  
The drop-off coordinates had ended up being in the middle of barren desert which would make it easy for the helicopter to set down and take back off.  
  
Carlos sat in the back of the chopper with Chris and Claire. He was glad he hadn't brought his jacket. It was so hot. 'Come to think about it were is my jacket.' he thought remembering he hadn't seen it where he had last placed it. 'Oh well, worry about it when we get back.' He looked back at Claire who was resting her head against Chris's shoulder.  
  
"So Chris what's your plan anyway." Carlos asked remembering that he had never got a straight answer.  
  
"This" Chris said reaching into his pocket and pulling out a tube of clear liquid.  
  
Carlos flinched away a bit. "Virus?"  
  
Chris shook his head "Tranquilizer. It's powerful enough to take down a large elephant. I'm just hoping it's powerful enough to take down a vengeful Wesker." Chris said setting it in a special made gun.  
  
"Then what?" Carlos asked intrigued.  
  
"Then I get a safe distance away and make sure no one's following me and have one of you guys come pick me up." Chris said making it sound like a piece of cake. He took his phone out of his vest pocket knowing the phone call would come soon. He handed it off to Claire who hung on to it for dear life. "Loosen up on it Claire. You're going to break the damn thing."  
  
"Sorry. I'm just nervous. That's all." Claire said not able to hide the fear in her eyes.  
  
"It's alright." Chris said placing an arm around her shoulder allowing her to rest her head on his once more. "Everything's going to be okay Claire."  
  
************************************************************************  
  
The phone call came a few minutes later. Claire had to let her brother speak to Wesker first before she could talk to the others.   
  
"Claire?" came Sherry's small frightened voice "Claire get me outta here!"  
  
"Don't worry sweetie we'll be there real soon okay?" Claire said trying as much as she could to calm her.  
  
Next was Steve. At first there was nothing. "Steve?" Claire asked fear rising into her voice.  
  
"Uhhh Claire?" Steve's groggy voice came through the phone.  
  
"Steve are you alright?" Claire asked the fear turning to anger at whatever Wesker had done to him.  
  
"Ya, I'm fine just come get me out of here okay?" Steve said still sounding a bit groggy.  
  
"Sure thing we'll be right there." Claire said. She hung up the phone and handed it back to her brother who placed it back in his pocket.  
  
************************************************************************  
Within two minutes they had reached the drop off destination. Claire hugged her brother and told him to be careful and come back safely. Carlos shook his hand, pulled him into a swift hug and asked him to rough Wesker up a bit for everyone. Chris laughed and agreed to everyone's requests.  
  
Steve and Sherry were tied together and were waiting five-hundred feet away from Wesker giving the team plenty of room to set the helicopter down for the drop-off. Claire and Carlos said there goodbyes and good lucks to Chris again and hopped out the opposite side to gather up Steve and Sherry. Chris took a few steps away from the helicopter and motioned for Barry to take off. Barry hesitated for a moment then gave a nod and took off.  
  
Chris stood watching Wesker and prepared to draw his gun waiting until the helicopter was a distance away to where he knew Wesker could do nothing to them if he should fail. Wesker stood smiling at him. Same old black jump suit, same old black glasses, same old Wesker.  
  
"I must say Chris I'm quite impressed. I didn't figure you'd actually stay and not try to steal a ride back with your friends." Wesker said arms crossed not moving.  
  
Chris drew his weapon quickly and shot. Everything happened so lightening fast he Chris didn't even see it. He didn't need to the sound of the vial hitting the ground and shattering said it all. Wesker had dodged it. Wesker chuckled and began to slowly walk up to Chris then seeing Chris reach for a second gun he swiftly finished of the rest of the distance to put Chris in a headlock readying himself to break the younger man's neck.   
  
"It's finally over Chris." Wesker stated coldly "I've been waiting too long for this to play games now."  
  
Chris struggled in vain unable to think of what to do. 'God if I could just get him to keep talking.' he thought preparing to start a conversation.  
  
There was a snap and everything went black. 


	4. New Evidence

Author's Note: I just want to say thank you to the person who goes by Yototsuko Kesaru for making us all once again fear the thought of being "scorned by flocks of ravenous snow owls". And also I decided to be mean to Carlos. I I don't like him very much.   
  
  
  
Claire paced back and forth outside the team's med lab waiting for Steve to wake up. Jill had run a blood check to make sure he wasn't still carrying the virus. It had come back clean. Except for the sedative that Wesker had given him to keep him from "trying anything" was all they had gotten from him before he fell asleep again. It just didn't all add up to her. 'Why would Wesker have to worry about Steve trying anything if Steve knew we were coming to get him? Maybe he was truly just taking precautions, but still....I just have a bad feeling about it all.'  
  
"Hey Claire, sleeping beauty awake yet?" Jill asked coming down the hall.  
  
"No, not yet. Has my brother called yet?" Claire asked remembering what Chris had told her and Carlos.  
  
"No, but it really hasn't been long. I'm sure he's fine. Probably still taking precautions to make sure no one's following him. You know your brother." Jill said trying to set Claire's mind at ease.  
  
"Ya, I guess you're right." Claire said still thinking it over.  
  
"All right someone's gotta pay!" Carlos said as he came stomping swiftly down the hall towards both girls holding up his coat which had soup soaking through every pocket.  
  
Jill covered her mouth trying to conceal her laughter in vain.  
  
"Oh so it was you!" he said pointing at Jill with his free hand. "Hey if this is about me eating your Nutra-Grain bar..."  
  
"You ate my Nutra-Grain bar!?" Jill asked looking horrified.  
  
"Ya, well I was really hungry and..."   
  
"You shouldn't have done that!" Jill said still looking shocked.  
  
"Ya, well now I'm glad after this." Carlos said holding his jacket up closer to Jill's face as if to remind her of what she did.  
  
"No, seriously you shouldn't have done that. That Nutra-Grain bar expired a year ago." Jill said pushing Carlos's jacket out of her face so she could look at him.  
  
"Oh man. I knew I didn't feel good." Carlos said putting his hand up to his head.  
  
"Come on you should go lay down." Jill said taking him by the arm with one hand and placing another on his back as if to guide him. "Let me know when Steve wakes up. Okay Claire?"  
  
"Sure." Claire yelled back to Jill who was already at the end of the hall. Claire slipped into the med room to wait for Steve to wake up. Sherry was there too curled up sleeping on another bed. At first she wouldn't let Claire leave her side, but it hadn't taken long for her to fall asleep leaving Claire free to switch back and forth between her and Steve. She looked up when she saw Steve's head turn in her direction. 'Finally he's awake.' she thought as she began to walk over to him. "Hey"  
  
"Hey" he said sitting up "How's your brother?"  
  
"Don't know we haven't heard from him yet."  
  
"Oh" Steve said getting quiet " I hope he's alright."  
  
"I'm sure he's fine. He's been through too much to have anything happen now."  
  
"Ya, I guess you're right....."  
  
"So how are you feeling?"  
  
"Not too bad. How'd the test come back?"  
  
"You're clean." Claire said smiling.  
  
"That's good."  
  
"Sherry's fine too." Claire motioned to the bed near the wall where the little girl still slept.  
  
"I'm kinda thirsty. You got anything around here to drink?" Steve asked looking hopeful.  
  
"All we really have in here is water and to be completely honest with you I wouldn't drink it." Claire said teasing. "We could take a walk down to the kitchen to get you and Sherry both something. I'm sure she's probably hungry by now."  
  
"Oh yes." Sherry said sitting up automatically at the mention of food.  
  
"You weren't really sleeping at all, now were you?" Claire asked eyeing the little girl up suspiciously.  
  
"Well, I just woke up a minute or so ago and I didn't want to interrupt you two." Sherry said in her sweetest voice trying to play her childish innocence.   
  
"Let's go." Claire said helping Steve up and supporting him to walk. It was obvious he hadn't walked on his own in a while. Probably since the last time she saw him. She tried not to think about it too much. Each time she did she just got more and more infuriated. "They'll get theirs." she mentally threatened. For now she was just worried about having her brother come home safely, finding Leon, and helping Steve with his recovery.  
  
*******************************  
  
They reached the kitchen and Claire tried to get them both oriented as to where the food was placed for future reference. She made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for Sherry. Steve claimed to not be hungry which didn't stop Claire from trying to force feed him some soup. He ate a little to shut her up, but mostly just drank milk. As Sherry finished up her sandwich Steve practiced walking by holding on to the counter top for support.  
  
"Done." Sherry announced placing some uneaten crust on her plate. Claire dumped the contents and stood watching Steve get use to his feet again.  
"Well, I'm a little better." Steve said looking at Claire for her opinion. Claire just nodded.  
  
"You want to go check out the rest of the building?" Claire asked motioning to the door.  
  
"Sure if you don't mind helping me around."  
  
"Of course I don't." Claire said not hesitating to be by his side.  
  
"Alright let's go then." Steve said looking at Sherry who smiled at them then ran out into the hallway to take the lead.  
  
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"And this would be the last stop." Claire announced in her best tour guide voice. They were stopped outside the office. Their first stop had been the lounge where Carlos was laying on the couch moaning like a man on his death bed with a very unsympathetic Jill beside him. "Oh you're fine knock it off already." she said elbowing him in the side.  
  
"Alright lady, but if I die I'm blaming it on you." Carlos said pointing an accusing finger.  
  
"Fine go ahead. So you're giving them the grand tour are you?" Jill asked redirecting her attention to Claire.  
  
"Yes, and I figured I would stop here first to tell you their both awake and with me. Any word from my brother yet?"  
  
"No none yet, but then you know your brother."  
  
"Ya, your right."  
  
They had entered the office and Claire was showing off everyone's desk starting with her brother's. Sherry was having fun spinning round and round in the office swivel chairs, while Steve looked over the pictures on the S.T.A.R.S. member's desks. He reached the last desk, Leon's desk, and stopped dead in his tracks. Not moving, not breathing, he just stared at the picture. The picture had been taken on Claire's last birthday. Her and Leon had gone to see an opera and Carlos couldn't help, but tease them which requires using an entire roll of film. Somehow though, by the look on Steve's face it wasn't jealous boyfriend syndrome.   
  
"What's wrong Steve? Do you know him? Have you seen him? Do they have him there too?" Claire hurriedly asked every question her mind threw at her. "Did you see him?"  
  
"Yes" Steve said finally taking a short breath "he works for them."  
  
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"Are you sure it was him?" Jill asked looking as confused as Claire felt "I mean maybe it was someone who just looks like him."  
  
"No, I'm sure it was him." Steve said without the slightest hint of doubt in his voice. "He's one of their special agents. I saw him a couple times talking to Wesker."  
  
"I knew it. I knew from the start that kid couldn't be trusted." Carlos snorted.  
  
"Shut up Carlos. You know Leon would never willingly work for them. He won't so much as jay-walk. Believe me I've had to sit through his famous "Dangers of Jay-Walking" lecture a thousand times. They have to have him under some sort of mind control that's the only thing that makes any sense."  
  
All in the room turned to Steve for him to agree with or dismiss their theories. "I guess it's possible that he's under their control if he's as much of a wet noodle as you describe him."  
  
"How about you Sherry? Did you see Leon there?" Claire asked the little girl who up until that point had sat forgotten in the corner of the office.  
  
"Huh uh, the only people I ever saw were scientist and the mean man with the sunglasses."  
  
The door to the office opened and everyone held their breath waiting and hoping that Chris would walk in. Instead Barry came through the door and stopped when he noticed everyone staring at him. "What? Do we have any new information on Chris?"  
  
"No" Jill said turning her eyes to the floor shamefully.  
"That's it I can't wait any longer! Barry could you go down and get the chopper ready? I want to go to the drop off point to look for him." Claire said trying to suppress the hot tears she felt coming to her eyes.  
  
"I'll go too." Jill said standing up from her desk chair in which she had been sitting.  
  
"No, you stay behind and look after Sherry." Claire said looking to the back of the room where Sherry sat. The little girl was rummaging through Leon's desk as if she were looking for something. "Sherry sweetie what are you doing?"   
  
"Looking for clues." the little girl said flatly not bothering to look up. "Maybe Leon left something telling where he's at."  
  
Claire smiled at Sherry's attempt to act like one of the team. Heck maybe one day she would be a member of S.T.A.R.S. "We already looked through there sweetie. There's nothing of any use." Claire hoped it wouldn't hurt the little girl's feelings too badly.  
  
"Well maybe you missed something." It was not quite the answer Claire expected and took her a bit by surprise.  
  
"Nuh uh, honey. Yours truly went through that desk 3 times and there ain't nothing in there of any use." Carlos said motioning to himself rather proudly.  
  
"Ya, then all the rest of us went through it again to make sure Mr. Macho Man didn't screw up." Jill said crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
"Oh wow that's harsh." Carlos said lowering his head to stare at his shoes.  
  
Sherry sighed as she came to the last of the contents of the desk a paperclip, a bubblegum wrapper, and a palm pilot. "I guess your right I couldn't find anything either." she said examining the mini-computer she held in her hand.  
  
"Oh please be careful with that sweetie." Claire said all too late as she watched in horror as the palm pilot fell to the floor out of the little girl's grasp. The backing of the battery compartment broke off and went flying out of site somewhere in the office. Sherry fell to the floor right away picking up the now broken computer in an absolute panic. "I'm so sorry Claire, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to break it!!! I really didn't. It slipped and I couldn't catch it in time. I'm so sorry Claire."   
  
Claire headed to the back of the room to console the little child. "It's alright sweetheart. I know you didn't do it on purpose. It was an accident that's all." she said holding the trembling little girl in her arms. After a moment when Sherry had calmed down Claire sat back on her heels to assess the damage to the small electronic equipment. The front had cracked slightly, the back was a little loose, and the backing to the battery compartment was playing hide and seek somewhere in the office. "It's alright. It's nothing that can't be fixed." Claire said in a reassuring voice.  
  
"Really?" asked Sherry wiping the tears away from her eyes.  
  
"Sure." Claire said looking once more to the backless battery compartment. "Hey what's this?" she asked everybody and nobody in the room. Underneath the battery she could see a little piece of white paper protruding out. She removed the battery that held the small piece of paper in place and examined it.  
  
"Well, what is it?" Carlos asked leaning in over Claire's shoulder trying to sneak a peek at the finding.  
  
"Sherry sweetheart you did it!!!" Claire squealed in delight as she grabbed the little girl and showered her in hugs and kisses.  
  
"Really?! I did? It tells where Leon is?"  
  
"I sure hope so. These are definitely coordinates to somewhere. We'll go get my brother and then go to find Leon." Claire grabbed a notebook to transfer the numbers to and then got up and went to a computer to see where they would take them. "Good news I think this could be it. It's not far from where we dropped Chris off." She stood from her desk and walked over to hand the coordinates to Barry who hadn't left the room.  
  
"Damn, you mean to tell me that all of us went through that desk, all highly trained elite forces who have dealt with thousands of investigations and the evidence was found by a little girl?!" Carlos punched his fist into his thigh trying to come to terms with being out done by an elementary school girl.  
  
"Seems that way." Jill said looking a bit embarrassed herself "We need to practice more. I think we're getting rusty."  
  
"Damn right we are!" Carlos said still visibly upset.   
  
"I didn't really find it." Sherry said trying to cheer up Carlos "Claire did. All I did was break the computer accidentally. I would have never thought to look there."   
  
"Hey ya that's right!!! The only way that anything was found was by accident." Carlos said getting a smug look and instantly feeling better.  
  
Claire broke the moment of silence to get everyone moving. "Alright Barry go ready the chopper please. Carlos come on let's go get suited up."  
  
Barry nodded and left the room.   
  
"What why me? Why do I have to go?" Carlos asked frantically.  
  
"Cause I want Jill to stay behind and watch after Sherry."  
  
"I can watch the kid and besides I'm still recovering from that bad breakfast bar. I really don't think I should go out."  
  
"Carlos remember last Christmas we got you a gold fish?"  
  
"Ya, and I named him Mr. Squiggles. Hey now that you mention it where did Mr. Squiggles ever go to anyway?"  
  
"Jill found him in his fish bowl in the refrigerator."  
  
"Oh ya that's right!!! It was a really hot day and I didn't want him to like be boiled to death in his own bowl."  
  
"If you can't even take care of a fish there's no way I'm letting you take care of Sherry. Now let's go!" Claire walked out before Carlos could further protest.  
  
Carlos slumped his shoulders over in defeat and turned to Jill. "So where is Mr. Squiggle's now?"  
  
"Down the toilet."  
  
"Hey now, I don't think that's a very safe place for him!!!"  
  
The three left in the room groaned and shook there head while Jill pushed Carlos out into the hall to get going already. 


End file.
